Dictionary of Science Fiction Places

GILEAD, Margaret Atwood's sexually oppressive society in THE HANDMAID'S TAIL. A.E. Vogt's IMPERIAL CITY, the seat of power of the Ishar dynasty, who ruled Earth, Mars, and Venus for nearly five thousand years. Isaac Asimov's utopian space habitat, ROTOR. These are but a few of the places Brian Stableford visits in this extraordinary guidebook, designed and organised in the bestselling tradition of THE DICTIONARY OF IMAGINARY PLACES. With the same skills displayed in his own popular works and the depth of understanding of a scholar of the genre, the internationally acclaimed Stableford has created an all-inclusive popular directory on the strange worlds created by writers ranging from H.G. Wells to Arthur C. Clarke, Ursula K. Le Guin to William Gibson and Ray Bradbury and illuminates their histories, geography, the physical and social characteristics of their populations. This unique volume is a browsers delight and a first class reference book for every science fiction fan.

This unique reference book is exactly what its title suggests, a dictionary devoted to cataloging, in the words of its editor, "imaginary places devised by writers of science fiction." The entries begin with Abatos, introduced in Philip José Farmer's short story Father, and end at Zygra, the imaginary world from John Brunner's 1966 novel A Planet of Your Own. Along the way are stops such as the Fire Station from Fahrenheit 451, Anne McCaffrey's famous world of Pern, and the unforgettable Trafalmadore featured in The Sirens of Titan and Slaughterhouse Five.

The dictionary has more breadth than depth, which is understandable given its subject matter, and the selections can at times seem a bit unusual. But it covers most of the major SF places, ranging from things as grand as Isaac Asimov's Para-Universe to individual buildings like the Monarch Tower from Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man. In between are hours of fun reading, a few good reminiscences of forgotten realms, and answers to pesky questions like, "How wide is Ringworld?" (Answer: 997,000 miles) --Craig E. Engler